Apple readies TV+ subscription service for Nov 1 start & announces Australia availability for $7.99/month

Apple has earmarked November 1 to launch its streaming service in an increasingly crowded market.

Apple CEO Tim Cook announces the availability of Apple’s streaming service TV+ at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino last week. Picture: AFP

Apple has earmarked November 1 to launch its streaming service Apple TV+ in what is an increasingly crowded market. TV+ will launch in more than 100 countries including Australia and will be entirely its own content.

In doing so Apple has avoided having to negotiate country-by-country content copyright agreements. But it also means the content offering will be limited. In Apple’s business model, quality will have to carry the day over quantity.

Apple last week said nine programs would be available at launch. The lead show will be “Morning Wars,” a drama with Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell, that explores the world of morning news and the ego, ambition and the search for power behind newsmakers. We’re yet to see how biting its depiction of power in newsrooms will be.

Oprah Winfrey will interview compelling authors from across the world.

Jennifer Aniston, left, and Reese Witherspoon head the cast of “The Morning Show," a behind-the-scenes look at fictional players in the competitive morning broadcast realm. Picture: AP

Science fiction gets a good airing Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard will star in an epic drama called “See”, set 600 years into the future after a virus renders the whole of humanity blind.

“Dickinson” is a dark comedic coming-of-age story, “For All Mankind,” explores life if the global space race never ended, “Helpsters” is a children’s series from the makers of “Sesame Street, while “Snoopy in Space” looks at Snoopy’s dream to become an astronaut.

There’s “Ghostwriter”, which follows four kids brought together by a mysterious ghost, and “The Elephant Queen” which looks at a species facing extinction.

There’s a second, coming group of series. “Servant” follows a couple after an unspeakable tragedy, Truth Be Told” explores America’s obsession with true crime podcasts, “Little America” tells the stories of migrants, and there’s “The Banker” and “Hala”. That’s it for now.

The inclusion of Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams in a list of illustrious directors, producers and filmmakers suggests more Sci Fi in the future mix.

Apple promises to subtitle or dub originals in nearly 40 languages, including subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing or closed captions.

TV+ will be available with a seven-day free trial followed by a monthly charge of $7.99.

Apple CEO Tim Cook promotes Apple TV+ last week in Cupertino. Pcture: AFP

The $7.99 figure is cheaper than the basic Netflix rate of $9.99 monthly, Stan’s $9.99, and Disney +’s $8.99, but more expensive than Amazon Prime at $6.99 monthly.

Apple’s pricing varies with markets. For example, India media reports its price there at about $A2 per month.

TV+’s biggest competitor could be Disney+, given that they launch only a few weeks apart.

You won’t need an Apple TV box to watch it. You can use an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac through the Apple TV app. In Australia TV+ will be available on some 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TVs and via Safari, Chrome and Firefox browsers.

The service will be ad-free and subscribers can watch it online and offline. Apple says users will be notified when first episodes begin. Series will premiere with three episodes, with one new episode to roll out each week, while full seasons of some series will be available all at once.

You can still buy regular movie content through Apple. But you’ll now do it through the TV app rather than iTunes which Apple is ditching.

TV+ hasn’t entirely been smooth sailing for Apple which already has axed Richard Gere’s series “Bastards” because of its depiction of vigilante justice and “Vital Signs” because of its reference to drugs and an extended orgy in a mansion.

Chris Griffith attended Apple’s launch event in Cupertino last week courtesy of Apple.